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Does a game with bad story but perfect gameplay deserve 10/10 Reviews?
- Thread starter Arnie7
- Start date
Suzushiiro
Banned
Depends on how much emphasis it puts on the story. If the story is clearly just filler to provide an excuse for what's happening in the gameplay and minimal game time is spent on it, sure. If the game is 50-75%+ cutscenes like most MGS games, no.
In general I think the proper way to review/score a game is based on the question of "how well does this game do what it's trying to do?" If the game is primarily trying to tell you a story, you should judge it primarily on its story. If the game is primarily about shooting things, you should judge it primarily on how well the shooting gameplay works. If a game is primarily about its sexual content, you should judge it based on how well it turns you on. If a game is clearly all about its multiplayer with SP in there out of obligation, you should judge it based on the MP and not dock it for the SP sucking, etc etc.
In general I think the proper way to review/score a game is based on the question of "how well does this game do what it's trying to do?" If the game is primarily trying to tell you a story, you should judge it primarily on its story. If the game is primarily about shooting things, you should judge it primarily on how well the shooting gameplay works. If a game is primarily about its sexual content, you should judge it based on how well it turns you on. If a game is clearly all about its multiplayer with SP in there out of obligation, you should judge it based on the MP and not dock it for the SP sucking, etc etc.
DownGrader
Member
Let's face it, most video game stories are serviceable at best. If the story of a game is good, then the game is worth additional praise. However, if the story is so-and-so, reviewers should not deduct points for that, unless the story is so bad, it actively makes the overall experience unenjoyable.
Minimalist story doesn't equal a bad story.
I feel like people forget that reviews are completely subjective to an individual. Different people will appreciate different things, and so on.
There are people who will prefer story over gameplay, and vise versa. Even peoples complaints about bad gameplay are usually completely subjective. Like, I think Legend of Zelda games feel terrible, but I am obviously in an incredible minority since so many people praise those games for gameplay.
In the end of the day, people should probably stop putting so much looking into reviews since they are typically the opinion of one or a few people.Find a reviewer or group that might share similar tastes as you, and see where a game stacks up with them if you really think reviews still hold a lot of weight with your determinations of a games quality.
There are people who will prefer story over gameplay, and vise versa. Even peoples complaints about bad gameplay are usually completely subjective. Like, I think Legend of Zelda games feel terrible, but I am obviously in an incredible minority since so many people praise those games for gameplay.
In the end of the day, people should probably stop putting so much looking into reviews since they are typically the opinion of one or a few people.Find a reviewer or group that might share similar tastes as you, and see where a game stacks up with them if you really think reviews still hold a lot of weight with your determinations of a games quality.
The Artisan
Member
some would argue that a game having little to no story doesn't deserve a perfect score.
hence, subjectivity.
bulletbill10
Member
Generally, I think games should be rated based upon what they are trying to do. It puts more burden on reviewers (and will likely never be followed in general) but the quality of a story should only be rated if the creators were attempting to tell a story. Tetris doesn't need a story to be well rated, and a visual novel doesn't need amazing gameplay to be well rated.
For the most part, though I think some deserve to be knocked down a notch if the story is intrusive or takes itself too seriously. Revengeance, for instance, has a few of those those stupid walk and talk moments that nobody gave a shit about and shouldn't have been in there.
Like for instance, the Mario games are great and have no or bad stories. If they were suddenly to be the same mechanically and also included 4 hours of cut scenes about the political strife of the mushroom kingdom, I'd probably knock it down a notch.
Like for instance, the Mario games are great and have no or bad stories. If they were suddenly to be the same mechanically and also included 4 hours of cut scenes about the political strife of the mushroom kingdom, I'd probably knock it down a notch.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
Depends, is it constantly thrust into our face or not?
Calamari41
41 > 38
You're right, but "Bowser kidnapped the princess while we were on vacation in Dinosaur Land" isn't 10/10 story material. To me it doesn't matter to that games score, though.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
If the game's story is intrusive and frequently in your face, no.
If the game's story is minimalist and can be ignored, then sure, why not. Docking points to, say, Rayman Legends because "bad story" would be extremely stupid. For story-driven games, not so much.
If the game's story is minimalist and can be ignored, then sure, why not. Docking points to, say, Rayman Legends because "bad story" would be extremely stupid. For story-driven games, not so much.
This.
Should have been first post.
kunonabi
Member
If the story is skippable I could see 10/10 being possible depending on the genre. Story is second to last in terms of what I look for in a game though. I can count on one hand the number of games where the story was enough to pull a mediocre game to greatness. The reverse is far more common.
chrisPjelly
Member
That's only because Mario is a gameplay centric series that you DON'T expect a story from. Hence why most if not all of the score weight from reviews is focused on the gameplay. The reason Walking Dead S1 received raving reviews while having nearly non-existant gameplay is because of its VERY story centric nature, and the fact that that sole story was very well written. It's also the reason why David Cage's trilogy gets a lot of shit; Story is all it has going for it, and those stories happen to be garbage that takes itself too seriously.
A game should only be judged on its story when the publisher/developer promotes it as a major component of its game.
it depends on how much time the bad story steals from the gameplay
if the game plays amazing, but you're sitting with your controller limp in your hands for an hour between gameplay sessions, while some dumb unskippable Sword Art Online tier storytelling is keeping you from enjoying the game, then no. That game shouldn't get a 10/10, because at that point the story is actively keeping you from getting to the gameplay.
if the game plays amazing, but you're sitting with your controller limp in your hands for an hour between gameplay sessions, while some dumb unskippable Sword Art Online tier storytelling is keeping you from enjoying the game, then no. That game shouldn't get a 10/10, because at that point the story is actively keeping you from getting to the gameplay.
Weltall Zero
Member
Basically. For me, if a game has perfect gameplay and the story can be skipped, I couldn't care less about the latter. Of course at that point it would be better to have no story or a minimalistic one (and frankly I wish more games did exactly that, since most seem unable to raise the bar above "semi-functional triteness").
ZombiePlatypus
Member
Depends on the genre, what it sets out to do, and what it promises players.
Mario games and Street Fighter could have crap story and still deserve straight 10s. A Final Fantasy with a bad story though is a dealbreaker.
I'm not even counting MGSV in this discussion, cause even setting the crap story aside, it's an objectively bad game with really bad gameplay. Good mechanics =/= good gameplay.
Mario games and Street Fighter could have crap story and still deserve straight 10s. A Final Fantasy with a bad story though is a dealbreaker.
I'm not even counting MGSV in this discussion, cause even setting the crap story aside, it's an objectively bad game with really bad gameplay. Good mechanics =/= good gameplay.
gigantor21
Member
Fuck no.
Only a game that gets both right deserves a perfect score.
Only a game that gets both right deserves a perfect score.
LegendofLex
Member
Did the story detract from the enjoyment of the experience?
If so, then by all means use it as a basis for detracting from the score.
("I wish this game had more of a story" in a game that isn't driven at all by story doesn't really count, though, IMO.)
If so, then by all means use it as a basis for detracting from the score.
("I wish this game had more of a story" in a game that isn't driven at all by story doesn't really count, though, IMO.)
old manatee
Banned
Resident Evil 4 is a 10/10 game with a horrible story.
Devilgunman
Member
Absolutely. It all comes down to "Is the game fun?"
I remember when Championship Manager, a soccer sim game that are basically a bunch of spreadsheets stack together, received a high praise despite being very barebone.
I remember when Championship Manager, a soccer sim game that are basically a bunch of spreadsheets stack together, received a high praise despite being very barebone.
swearing-circle
Member
Nah, gameplay is king. It's a matter of proportion though. If the game has the best gameplay ever but its interspersed between 30 minute cutscenes of garbage then yeah, I think some points should probably be deduced.
A good story can make me stick through subpar gameplay and vice versa. That being said gameplay has the edge since when I go to replay a game I can laugh at the awful dialogue and twists as long as I enjoy playing the game time and time again. A game can absolutely earn 10 on gameplay alone (see Vanquish)
The story of Rosalina is genuinely good and sad. Kinda shocked me for a Nintendo game. Great music during her story times too.
;__; why did her mom have to die?
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
That entirely depends on the game and what it's going for. But sure, plenty of games are fantastic and have awful or throwaway stories.
But FF5! (It's story is more "passable" than "bad" though).
But FF5! (It's story is more "passable" than "bad" though).
i dont understand why people keep saying Bayonetta has a bad story, i mean, is anime as fuck, but bad? it's fairly entertaining.
also yeah, it depends, if a game tries to sells like THE NEXT THE LAST OF US, and then the story sucks, it should be reflected on its score
Yeah, but the story is 'terrible' in a manner that does not detract from the game. In fact, it greatly adds to the overall experience.
I doubt many people found a desire to skip many of those cut-scenes.
Compared to an Atelier Whatever game where I am hammering on the skip button as hard as I can.
Roni
Gold Member
What about graphics? What about animation? And sound... can't forget sound. Not to mention UX/UI, gotta compliment the designers on the clean and friendly layouts.
Yeah... it's completely subjective
Unless you were around before RE4 and you're part of the other demographic.
Imp the Dimp
Member
Of course lol.
It depends on the reviewer mainly. Most reviews I saw for MGSV did give a knock on the story, but to them the game made up for it in every other area. No game is perfect, sometimes the flaw is in the story.
With MGS3 being my favorite game of all time, MGSV would have took a huge hit for it's story if I was a reviewer, despite if being an absolutely amazing game in other areas. Marketing also plays a role in this, some games are marketed heavily with their stories, some aren't, so it isn't as glaring an issue when the story is bad. MGSV's E3 2015 story trailer will go down as one of the most emotional story trailers for me, and one that set up a disappointing game, because it set my expectations to an amazing narrative. This is just one game though.
With MGS3 being my favorite game of all time, MGSV would have took a huge hit for it's story if I was a reviewer, despite if being an absolutely amazing game in other areas. Marketing also plays a role in this, some games are marketed heavily with their stories, some aren't, so it isn't as glaring an issue when the story is bad. MGSV's E3 2015 story trailer will go down as one of the most emotional story trailers for me, and one that set up a disappointing game, because it set my expectations to an amazing narrative. This is just one game though.
Fantastapotamus
Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
It depends. Is there a large emphasis on story? Let's say a game has a bunch of cutscenes and sequences where you have to follow a character but it's all terrible. That doesn't deserve a "perfect" rating (even though I really don't think 10/10 is some magical thing anymore). If it's like Mario Galaxy it's fine.